Library construction



pril 12, 1932. A, s. MACDONALD 219854,158

LIBRARY OSTRUCTION u Filed July 2, 1930 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZBY lVENTOR @Mw/La ATTORNEYS April 12, 1932. A. s. MACDONALD 1,854,158

LIBRARY CON'STRUCTIONv I Filed July 2, 1930 7 sheets-sheet 2 ai, fa,

EQ2/af,

IN VEN TOR.

INQ7/M q, .Mohan/s. i

April 12, 1932. A. s. MACDONALD LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION Filed July 2. 195o 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 April l2, 1932. A. s. MACDONALD 1,854,158

l LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION v Filed July 2, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 F510. F511. 151157,. ,I W

Q v ill nvI/ENToR. BY Z l q ATTORNEYS.

April 12, 1932. A s. MACDONALD 1,854,153

LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION v Filed July 2, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR. A

WMM/@MM A TTORNEYS.

April 12, 1932. A. s. MACDONALD 1,854,158

. LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION Filed Julyv 2, 195o l 7 sheets-Sheet s INVENToR.

' ATTORNEYS.

Filed July 2, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 [IEEE] EN TOR.

lud/v A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 12, 193

maar

ANGUS S. MACDONALD, 01E N YORKpN. Y., ASSGNOR SNEAD & COMPANY, 015' I JERSEYy CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COREUBATION OF NEW JERSEY CONSTRUCTION .application med July 2, 1939. Serial No. 465,321.,`

rllhis invention relates to library constructions such as are used, for example, 1n publlc libraries, university libraries and for the storage of archives and similar documents.`

The nature, objects and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following. A

lVith regard to such constructions, it has been customary to provide a rather complicated steel work comprised of upright columns arranged in rows with transverse and longitudinally extending beams, with longitudinal angles at the ranges to provide deck slits, with curb angles, and the like. This construction `is expensive, requires ,agreat deal of preliminary engineering andfisrather expensive to install, besides which it imposes certain practical limitations and diii'icu-lties, particularly with respect to the effective utilization of space in a building built large enough to take care of expected expansion. In this connection it is usually customary to make the building larger than is required and to employ only a portion thereof for book stacks. With the present form of construction it is not very practical to effectively utilize a space not occupied by stacks.

.Further-more, the present form of 'construction is such that full use of space which might otherwise be available for storage is not made.

ln general l propose a simple and inexpensive structure which overcomes the foregoing objections and has other advantages such as may hereinafter appear.

In carrying outmy invention 'I provide a series of main decks made of flat slab, reinforced concrete, which decks are supported by what may be termed upright book stack columns, the latter, in turn, being laterally supported by the decks, the iiooring acting as diaphragms and the whole constituting a structural unit with the side walls of the building supporting some of the edges bf the floors and constituting what may be termed the sheathing for the unit. Great transverse rigidity is provided which eliminates the lnecessity for otherwise connecting the stell columns, and in cases `such as unusually long spans where it may be desirable to employ some simple forms of horizontal steel door framing, it is usually unnecessary, according to my invention, to connect the framing and the steel columns with gusset plates or by welding to get stiff joints.

rlhe construction is one which provides a maximum available space for book storage and can be used to the maximum extent.- Very little preliminary engineering is required and much of the work can be done directly on the job. rIhe construction is also one which lends itself readily to improvements in -ventilation and lighting and a'ords better iire protection, and even if it is found in some instances desirable to fireproof. the columns, this can be done without wasting an undueamount of book storage capacity. In this connection,

the portion of the closely packed rows of ranges holding books forms a serious obstrucwith 'the top slab temporarily serving as a roof slab but ready at any time to receive additional tiers of vertical columns, shelf supports, or the like, which can be installed without disturbance to the work of the library or destruction of any temporary construction, which has heretofore been necessary. The construction reduces the amount of drafting tion expense, over present constructions, in which lall of the pieces of steel, marble slab,

etc., must be carefully detailed toexactly fit the desired conditions. 4

Furthermore, vthe arrangement is one which affords vgreat flexibility to accommodate for either Wide variations in character of service or for expansion.

By Way of illustration the l particular re` quirements may be such as to make it desirable to have book stacks for library use and shopfabrication work, 'as well as erecc' c and rolling cases for storage of papers and documents not so frequently used. The arrangement is such that it lends itself to the employment of any combination of library stacks and rolling cases on the same deck or ioor or on different ioors, as may be required. The advantage of this will be apparent from the following: ln building university libraries, it is customary to provide seating for the proper percentage of the total student body, facilities for the work of the staff of the library, including both those who serve the students and those who-catalogue or handle books, and accommodation for the books themselves. Experience has shown that the number of students of such an institution, if not definitely fixed to a maximum number, will increase approximately in arithmetical ratio, the number of books will increase approximately in geometrical ratio and the facilities of the staff in some ratio between that for the students and that for the books, all of which makes for a serious expansion problem heretofore not adequately solved.

According to my invention, l provide a plurality of regularly spaced stack columns, or what may be termed through stack columns which support the flat slab floors before described, the spacing of such columns being suiicient for them to adequately support unloaded wide spans of such floors. l then arrange stacks to form a court in the center of the building, utilizing a space that is devoid of windows or only partially provided with them. The floors carrying such stacks, being loaded, l. supplement the throughstack columns by `other'readily emplaceable columns, which in addition to supporting the ioors, also constitute a stack column. The through stack framework eX- tending beyond the areas first necessary for 'book storage, -is left stripped bare for the temporary formation of rooms, such as reading rooms, studies, oflices, cataloging rooms,

seminars, and the like. Temporary removable panels or thin panels that can be left permanently ln place may be employed for the walls of such rooms. As the library grows, the rooms above mentioned may have their panels removed and then equipped with stacks, the readily emplaceable stack and floor columns being set up.

The stacks in the center may be carried part way or all the way up through the building. If the stacks are not carried all the way up, intermediate deck after deck may be add-J ed vertically, and the stacks maybe expanded laterally. y intermediate decks are meant decks installed intermediate the main flat slab decks with which the building is provided when ereeiad.

It will be seen that I can, within wide. limits, use any arrangement or combination of librarystacks and rollinar cases. as hereinbefore described. As permanent library requirements increase, the room forming panels may be removed and shifted to new space, the rolling cases may be removed to new space, and standard or bracket cases installed in their place.

More specifically my invention contemplates the provision of certain improvements in details of design which will appear hereinafter more particularly.

I accomplish the foregoing by means of a construction which I have illustrated in the preferred form, in which- Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic vertical section through a library book stack illustrating my improvements Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 1a and 2a are fragmentary diagrammatic views illustrating how expansion is provided for by the through and the readily emplaceable columns; Fig. 2a being taken on the line 20a-2a ofFig. 1a;

Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive are fragmentary sectional views illustrating various arrangements of the book stack columns and the support of the floors thereby;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a`library book stack of the type supported on the floor and illustrates how the shelf supports for the same are associated with the stack columns;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 11-1/1 of Fig. 10, drawn on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view illustrating the shelf supports for shelves of the bracket tyre;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating suspended shelf supports;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the preferred way of carrying the form work, and certain other details of the invention; y

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view showing the disposition of the reinforcing of Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the kick plate of Fig. 14.

Referring-now to Figs. 1, 1a, 2 and 2a more particularly, the reference numeral 7 indicates the main fiat slab decking heretofore described, which is carried from the upright or through stack columns 8 and which, in turn, are laterally supported bythe flat slab decks. 9 are the outer Walls of the building.

The through columns 8 are regularly arranged as will hereinafter ybe more particularly described, and are spaced so as to support wide but unloaded spans, and the' ranges .A are composed either of library stacks as shown in Figs."1afand 2a or rolling cases, as 'i 'shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rolling cases'being arranged in pairs end to end and the ranges being substantially uninterrupted, the

spacing between Acolumns of a row. being a multiple of the width of a rolling case.

Intermediate the through columns, I arrange other and readily emplaceable columns 8a which support the floors and have the stacks associated therewith. They are put in as the library is expanded. Figures la and 2a illustrate some of the possibilities in arrangement. For example, only a portion of the decks 7a are in place, reading alcoves 7b are provided, and the surrounding areas may be used as hereinbefore pointed out.

The foregoing arrangements provide cross aisles and main aisles 11 with the windows 12 in the side walls located at the ends of the aisles.

The ranges extend substantially from floor to ceiling, thus dividing the interior into comp artments. These compartments are iventilated as follows 4Conditioned air is supplied by the conditioning apparatus diagrammatically indicated at 12 to the aisles of the bottom floor through the circulation slits 13 located at the left hand end of the aisles. The air travels lengthwise of the aisles in the direction of the arrows and then passes to the next deck through slits 14 in the flat slab flooring and so on from deck to deck, the air finally returning through ducts 15 to the conditioning apparatus.

The slits described preferably constitute the only air circulating ports. and it will be seen that the air sweeps over the space in front of the windows as it travels from deck to deck, thus securing more uniform temper# ature throughout the decks and preventing the formation of cold areas adjacent the windows. In addition, quietness and cleanliness are ensured because both sound and dust must travel lengthwise of a deck in order to reach an adjacent deck. While I have shown the air entering at ends of the aisA v, it is to be understood that it may enter at any point, as

at a stair well, from which it would travel to the side walls, and up through the slits to the next floor and then up through a stair well,

and so on.

The through columns are preferablyof the y construction shown in Fig. 6 in order to effectively utilize all of the available space. They are comprised of two simple angles 16 welded together at their apices as lshown at 1Z.L As a preferred means for supporting the fiat slab decking, I provide bracket-like memcolumns.

angles 18 are the same as those employed in Fig. 3, but they are placed in an inverted position. They make it possible to provide for other dispositions of the reinforcing. In Fig. 7 a plate 20 is welded to the top of a length of columns and carries theflooring. The next length of vcolumns rests upon the plate. This form is preferablyused for the intermediate readily emplaceable columns, although it may also be used for the through The term through columns 1s employed to indicate the main columns which are installed with the building when erected, and todistinguish these columns from the intermediate readily emplaceable columns.

I prefer to utilize the general form of colv umn shown in Fig. 6 as it is of such character that the columns may be erected in the open and afterwards painted.

In the arrangement of Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown tubular columns 16 for the intermediates. The lengths of the columns in Fig. 8 are joined by members 21 which socket into they adjacent ends of the columns so as to transmit load. These members are provided with a plate or bracket 22 for supportinglthe decking. In the arrangement of Fig. n9 two members 21 are employed, each having a plate 22 with the tube plates bolted together with the deck in between.

As before noted, the cases extend prac'tlcally from iioor to ceiling so as to take advantage of the fire protection afforded by the floor construction and to provide seals against dust as well as fire. To this end, the front panels of a case are adapted to abut against a yielding or resilient strip carried on a ceiling. Similar sealing material may be employed in the cases.

Thus the ranges of rolling cases are sealed off fromfthe aisles and the spread of fire is prevented, as is circulation of dust.

The length of the rolling cases in relation to the distance between rows of stack columns is such that the aisles between ranges are suiiiciently wide to permit of a case to be completely withdrawn with room for the attendant to pass around.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, I have therein illustrated a range of library stacks in which the shelf supports rest upon the deck. These shelf supports are formed of sheet metal and havethe configuration in cross section shown in Fig. 11 sov as to have substantial stability and strength and rigidity. They carry shelving 51 with hooks y52 adapted to project into recesses 53 in the shelf supports. Thel shelving in turn sup- 'ports the shelf supports. At the ends of a range the end shelf supports may be secured to the columns as by plates 54. Bottom fixed shelves 55 for closing the iioor and positioning the shelf supports may also be provided.

4 resales ln Fig. 12 I have shown the shelf supports as being provided with slanted slots as before, to receive bracket shelves. The columns in this case tie to one another through the deck.

For some installations it may be desirable to suspend the shelf supports from the brackets on the columns or'from the deck itself, as by means of expansion bolts, or the like, and l v have shown several such arrangements in Fig. 13. Theleft hand shelf supports are carried on suspension bolts 65, while the right hand su ports are suspended from the brackets 20. ccording to these arrangements, bottom fixed shelves are also provided to position the lower ends of the suspended `shelf supports. llt will be noted in this figure that the deck may be raised beneath the range to provide a base portion to close off. the range. This base serves as a mopping strip and also enables the use of linoleuni 66 or other form of soft flooring to be placed over 'the concrete. Ventilation slits may be provided in the deck,beneath the range, as shownmin the middle portion of Figure 13.

Assuming, now, that it is desirable to convert a portion of the book stacks of Figs. 1 and 2 into permanent library stacks, the rolling cases' are removed and the shelf supports f and shelving are arranged so that the stacks run lengthwise of the rows of columns back to back to provide a range. The aisles now left are much wider than before and intermediate ranges may be set up, there thus being three or four ranges of library stacks for every t-wo ranges of rolling case stacks. rl`his is accomplished by making the length of the library stacks a multiple of the Width of the rolling cases and making the width of the library stacks in relation to the distance between the rows of through columns such that three or four ranges may be substituted for twko while still providing adequate aisle space.

With respect to lighting, the lighting system diagrammatically indicated at 56 is buried in the concrete and there are sunken outlets 57 to provide for flush lightinglixtures, thus making it possible to use the entire distance from ioor to ceiling.

By my invention, l am able to carry library buildings to heights heretofore impossible, without sacrificing the advantages hereinbefore described.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 14 to 16 inclusive, the preferred method of supporting the formwork for the concrete decks and certain other details of the invention will be described.

rllhe columns are provided with plates 67 at the bottom and 68 at the top, and they are erected by interposing pipe lengths or sleeves 69 which vertically space apart the` plates 67 and 68, and through which the hold` ing bolts 70 are passed, there being any dc sired number of such bolts.

become part of the form, although they are not removed as are the boards 72.

The reinforcing rods 7 8 are then emplaced, these being carried on clips resting on top of the sleeves 69 and positioned by the bolts 70. rllhe reinforcing rods 76 may be similarly supported or carried `on the rods 74, as shown.

rlhe concrete is now poured and the form is removed` by taking off the nuts for the bolts and removing the angles 71 and the v board 72. The nuts are then replaced and tightened home, giving the connection a maximum rigidity between the columns and the concrete slab. rll`he reinforcing can go through undisturbed. lt will be seen that the stack structure can be erected before any ofthe concrete is being poured, which means that the erection work can continue while the first slab is resting on the form.

The columns of a` row may be tied together by members 77, two of the bolts 7 0 being used for this purpose. Where ventilation is provided beneath the bottom shelf, short pipe vents 78 may be carried upon the members 77. These will remain in place in the concrete and will transfer all compression stresses. The tension members are left undisturbed. Where such pipe vents are employed, the kick plates 79 are apertured, as shown in Figure 16.

No claim is directed to the ventilation shown and described as this constitutes the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 585,009, filed January (i, 1932.

ll claim:

1. In a system of library construction, a plurality of through stack columns, arranged in rows widely spaced apart but providing support for a span of unloaded ioor, floors carried thereby, intermediate emplaceable stack columns adapted to be arranged in rows between the through columns, and also adapted to furnish the additional support required for the spans of flooring when loaded with stacks, said columns being adapted to have associated therewith, shelf supports and shelves and said shelf supports and shelves, the floors affording lateral support for stack columns; whereby a portion of the building may be occupied by complete stacks and other portions may have a portion of the columns and, if desired, intermediate decks, omitted to provide for rooms.

2. ln a system of library construction, a plurality of through stack columns, arranged in rows widely .spaced apart but providing support for a span of unloaded floor, floors carried thereby, intermediate emplaceable stack columns adapted to be arranged in rows between the through columns, and also adapted to furnish the additional support required for the spans of flooring when loaded with stacks, said columns being adapted to have associated therewith, shelf supports and shelves, and said shelf supports and shelves, the floors affording lateral support for stack columns; whereby a portion of the building may be occupied by complete stacks and other portions may have a portion of the columns and, if desired, intermediate decks, omitted to provide for rooms, and means adapted to be secured to said through columns to provide said rooms.

3. In a system of library construction, a` plurality of through stack columns,-\arranged in rows widely spaced apart but providing support for a span of unloaded floor, ioors carried thereby, intermediate emplaceable stack columns adapted to be arranged in rows between the through columns, and also adapted to furnish the additional support required for the spans of iiooring when loaded with stacks, saidcolumns being adapted to have associated therewith, shelf supports and shelves, and said shelf supports and shelves, the floors affording lateral support for stack columns; whereby a portion of the building may be occupied by complete stacks and other portions may have a portion of the columns and, if desired, intermediate decks, omitted to provide for rooms, and removable walls adapted to cooperate with the through columns to provide said rooms.

4. In a library building, a stack occupying a portion thereof and having complete stack structure, partially complete stack structure adjacent the stack, the flooring being carired by the said stack structures, and means adapted to cooperate withthe incomplete stack structure to provide rooms.

5. In library construction walls and roof,

- a tier of main iioors exten ing between the walls, relatively widely spaced through columns supporting the floors and in turn supported thereby, and a plurality of readily emplaceable columns arranged between the iirst mentioned columns, the two sets of columns being arranged in rows, said emplaceable columns supporting the ioors and being 1n turn supported by the Iioorsand ioorsintermediate the main iioors adapted to be carried by the columns and in turn to support the columns; al1 of said floors being of reinforced construction and being substantially continuous and the spacing of the columns being such, that spans of the iioors between columns lwill support the load.

6. In library construction, walls and roof, a tier of main iioors extending between the walls, relatively widely spaced through co1- umns supporting the iioors and in turn supported thereby, and a plurality of readily emplaceable columns' arranged between the .first mentioned columns, the two sets of coltending between the walls, relatively widely spaced through columns supporting the floors, and in turn supported thereby, readily emplaceable columns'arranged between the first columns, in rows therewith, and shelf supports and shelving adapted to be associated with the rows of columns to provide ranges with aisles therebetween.

8. Library construction comprising a plurality ofl rows of substantially regularly arranged capless columns, the columns being spaced apart from one another in one direction a distance equal to a double case .plus an aisle and substantially no farther apart from one another in a direction at right angles to the first direction, and a tier of floors, beamless between rows of columns, carried by the columns and having just suflicient thickness to carry the load and oifer lateral support to the columns.

9. Library construction comprising a plurality of rows of substantially regularly arranged columns, the columns being spaced apart from one another in one direction a distance equal to a double case plus an aisle and substantially no farther apart from one another in a direction at ri ht angles to the first direction, and a tier o fioors, beamless between rows ofcolumns, carried by the co1- umns and having just sufficient thickness to carry the load and offer lateral support to the columns, the columns having relatively thin floor carrying plates whereby the floors are supported without substantial sacrifice of headroom.

1 In testimony whereof I have hereuntol 

